Saturday, 8 December 2012

The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

Continuing the wonderful Elm Creek series. I had been eagerly awaiting the book's publication when I had the chance to review via NetGalley. My recently ordered hardback edition arrived a few weeks ago and now joins the rest of the series on my bookshelf.

In this latest instalment, we are in the week following Thanksgiving. This week is know at Elm Creek as Quilt Giving which is an opportunity to attend a retreat and quilt. At the end of the week the quilters donate their accomplishments to local charities.

We meet the regular Elm Creek Quilters - Matt and Sarah and their toddler twins, Sylvia and Gretchen. We also meet the quilters attending the retreat - Jocelyn, mother of two children and a widow, Mona & Linnea, who are sisters, Michaela a student with her leg in plaster cast, Karen an employee of a quilt shop who had previously applied and been rejected to work at Elm Creek and Pauline a rather gifted quilter and a member of a rather prestigious quilting bee.

The story unfolds with a customary meal and the allocation of a Giving Journal, where the attendees are asked to record what they are thankful for and what they give to others (as well as receive). Each of the women, apart from the sisters are strangers and gradually they become immersed within the confines of the retreat and start to let down their personal barriers and each begins to share her story.

As each one shares and listens we start to see the foundations of friendships form and the love they each have for their families and their quilting.

I was not disappointed with the latest instalment and I look forward to the next visit to Elm Creek.

2 comments:

This sounds like a book that gives a warm fuzzy feeling. I love stitching in all its forms and there is none better than [atchwork as shown so well in the background of your blog. Love it. Love it. Love it.

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About Me

I am a Surrey girl, who is very proud of her roots, which go back almost 300 years in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. I currently live in the West Country of England, but Surrey is always home! I am also half Italian and thus have an interest in Italian culture and genealogy.

After a career in pharmacy management spanning more than 20 years, I made the decision to look at my options as to where my professional life was heading. I wanted to expand my work portfolio within the training and writing arena; to utilise my historical and research skills along with other qualifications and years of experience. I created The Book of Me, Written by You back in the Autumn of 2012. It threads together the focus of my interests and qualifications. Enabling me to encourage others to think beyond the obvious as we analyse our own lives and those of our close family members.

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